Dedicated
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: Sue Ellen and Bailey meet at the park on a very rainy day. They are doing something important for Sue Ellen's father, but even Bailey doesn't know what. But these meetings are very important and very secretive. Will the Crosswire's ever find out? One-shot.


Dedication

_Theme 043: Playing in the Rain_

Sue Ellen was walking when the rain began. She didn't mind it, especially since she was already wearing a hooded jacket. She pulled up her hood and walked towards the park, her original destination. She moved to a heavily wooded part, where a tall man stood in the cloud-induced shadows. Sue Ellen stood in front of him and looked him over. He stepped forward, a flickering streetlamp illuminating his figure. It was Bailey and he carried a leather bag while holding a black umbrella.

"I was wondering when you would show, Miss Armstrong. Your father mentioned you would be making the delivery today," Bailey said, looking around in a paranoid fashion. Sue Ellen stepped with him back into the shadows. "Are you fully prepared to do this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sue Ellen grinned. Bailey eyed her carefully. She had bit of an attitude for a ten-year-old. "Bailey, I've been keeping secrets for years. This is just the first time you're being made aware that I know what Daddy's been doing all this time."

"Does he do this wherever he goes?" Bailey questioned. Sue Ellen smiled, extending her hand. Bailey sighed and passed her the leather bag. It was dripping wet despite being under the umbrella, but Sue Ellen put it on her shoulder anyway, "I'll text you when I arrive home. While Daddy's out of town, I'll be the one making each pickup, so text me when you have the next drop."

Bailey eyed her carefully, "Miss Armstrong, do you _really_ know what you're father is doing with all of this?" he questioned. Sue Ellen giggled, nodding with confidence as rain began to fall harder. Bailey watched as she skipped towards a bus stop just as a bus arrived. She stepped on the bus and went halfway back, her eyes never turning in Bailey's direction.

The butler moved back to his car and got inside. Muffy was in the back of the limo on her smart phone doing whatever she did on the device. Bailey sighed heavily. Sue Ellen and girls like her would be better to care for than snooty Miss Muffy.

"Where to, Miss Muffy?" Bailey asked cooly, hiding his true thoughts about Muffy and her family. Muffy looked up, a twisted look on her face. Bailey knew that meant 'mall, NOW,' so he began to drive in that direction. When he arrived, he dropped Muffy off at the front of the mall under an awning. She disappeared inside as his phone buzzed. He read the text, 'It's done.'

Bailey sighed, wondering what he was even doing anymore. He'd been making these drops for years, bringing an umbrella each time in case it rained. It always rained, almost like a bad omen surrounding the entire ritual. But somehow, Bailey was okay with this. His diaries meant a lot to him, but if someone else wanted to read them, he was happy to provide.

The rain let up, so Bailey moved inside and ventured to a bookstore. He browsed the shelves for nothing in particular, but it was a generic adult fiction aisle that caught his attention. There was a book with a navy blue cover and letters like starlight. He picked it up and studied it carefully. 'The Rainy Memoires' was the title. Bailey opened it, but immediately decided against reading further. The dedication was to the 'soggy butler,' and he felt he couldn't read this book in public.

After purchasing the novel, he returned to his limo, where Miss Muffy was piling bags into the trunk with the help of a store associate. Bailey nonchalantly pushed his bag under his seat before starting the limo. Muffy sat inside, eying her wet boots with contempt as the associate finished outside.

"Take me home, Bailey. Mumzy wanted to have a chat before she goes to dinner tonight and I'd hate to be late," Muffy said. Bailey agreed, getting her home as fast as he could on the wet roads. He was immediately thrown into travel preparations for Mr. and Mrs. Crosswire's journey to Metropolis for dinner and an opera. He forgot about his book and the day's events in order to focus on his duties.

Days later, Bailey was cleaning the front of the limo after a fast food run. He found the bag from the bookstore, including the book inside. He sat in the limo and shut the door before flipping open the cover.

The book was the first of many, according to the front page, and it contained short stories from real people. Bailey recognized some titles as things he had participated in while working at the Crosswire home, but others were entirely unfamiliar.

Somehow, he knew the Armstrong's were involved, so he decided to break Mr. Armstrong's rule and ask Sue Ellen for contact. The skies clouded over as he drove to the park, and sure enough, it started to rain as he stood in his usual thicket.

Sue Ellen arrived with a devious smile, an umbrella in her hand. She had a muddy soccer ball in her hand, and Bailey realized she was in the middle of a game before she came. But Sue Ellen didn't mind as she stood next to him.

"I knew you'd have questions, that you'd figure things out eventually," she said. Bailey gave her a perplexed expression. "Daddy is gone on a book signing tour, but he's using a different name. You _know,_ Bailey. I can feel it."

"I do, but why would he do such a thing?" Bailey asked. Sue Ellen shrugged, "Sometimes ideas hit you, and after meeting another butler a few years ago, he asked about diaries and journals. The guy gave them up willingly, happy that someone was telling his story. Daddy didn't tell the next ones that's what he was doing. He didn't want anyone to know what he was doing."

Bailey shifted, "But what is he doing, Miss Armstrong?" he asked. Sue Ellen shrugged again, "I don't know his intentions. Are you angry?" she asked. He shook his head. "Well, just say you're playing in the rain. They'll never find out. Muffy has never read a book for class, not since our Ratburn days."

Bailey knew Sue Ellen was right. He decided not to worry about it, and then he passed her an incomplete journal. Sue Ellen slipped it into her pocket and slipped off into the rain.

Ten years later, things were different. Muffy was a changed woman, and Bailey had a job at a local photography studio. He was taking care of a customer when Muffy stepped inside wearing posh sunglasses. Bailey smirked; Muffy was always the fashionable one. He finished with his customers and approached her. Muffy pulled a device out of her pocket.

"Miss Muffy, is that an e-reader?" Bailey gasped. Muffy scoffed and slid her finger across the screen. Bailey immediately recognized the color scheme of the book's cover. She'd discovered the stories. "Miss Muffy, w-what is this about?" he stammered.

"I know what this is, Bailey, and...I always wondered why you'd go to the park on rainy days. I told Daddy and he thought you were crazy. Now I know the truth...and I'll keep your secret. They don't read, and I only started because of Alan," Muffy smiled.

"You're not angry?" Bailey asked. Muffy scoffed again and laughed, "Why would I be, Bailey? We were a nightmare! So many people hate me, and I just...I wish someone told us sooner. I know we wouldn't have listened, but I wish someone would have let us know."

"You wouldn't have listened, but yes, I wish things had been different," Bailey said softly. Muffy nodded and turned to leave. The sunny skies of Elwood City had turned cloudy and wet, and rain dripped on the windows. Muffy smirked as she looked back to Bailey, who produced an umbrella from behind the counter. Muffy thanked him before disappearing out the door.

~End


End file.
